Chapter 6
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Sun Yutan was lured onto the ship and experienced a mixture of nervousness and excitement throughout the entire journey. Even after returning to school, she remained dissatisfied. Upon graduation, she decided to follow Zhou Shuxin around the world at his behest. However, as they spent more time together, Sun Yutan discovered that Zhou Shuxin was not as serious and reliable as he had initially appeared.
In his early days, he was not very busy and had a playful nature. He often taught Sun Yutan how to surf and dive, and was patient and amiable. However, when he got angry, he could be very unpleasant, making him a boss that inspired both love and hate. Despite this, he was always serious about his work, and Sun Yutan watched as the red flags on his boss’ map increased, almost covering all the major tourist destinations around the world. With each location’s store reaching maturity, Sun Yutan’s role became increasingly limited. Additionally, she grew tired of this lifestyle and gradually began to consider leaving.
Later on, at the skiing resort in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Sun Yutan ran into her senior sister, He Nan. They had a good time chatting and drinking together. After listening to her current uncertainties and hesitations, He Nan suggested that she try to break free and take a chance, jokingly saying that her own PR department welcomed her to join. Although she was tempted, she didn’t take the joke seriously and instead relied on her connections to secure a job. She decided to pick up her books again and work on getting a good education first.
“Actually, I was so envious of you back then,” Sun Nianxi said. “On the way back, I kept thinking that opportunities are indeed only reserved for those who are prepared. Oh, I remember that you started researching accents because of some classmate, right?”
“Yes, a classmate from high school. When he first went to Australia, he would complain almost every day that my ears were starting to get calloused. So, I specifically looked into how strange accents can be.”
“Has he come back yet?”
“Should be back soon. But it wasn’t just because of him. Do you remember a lecture where a senior doing simultaneous interpretation shared her experience and specifically talked about accent issues, saying she had a big mishap because of it?”
“I have some impression of it.”
“That senior was my motivation. But, Sun Nianxi, what do you have to envy? You clearly only want to return to Haicheng and become a landlady.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. I am currently a university lecturer,” she paused, “as well as an investor and a landlady.”
“Do you have any students who are particularly good in English?”
“Believe it or not, even though our school is just an average second-tier university, we still have a few students who are talented but have a tendency to be selective about their studies.”
“Then, please introduce me to them on WeChat later.”
Sun Nianxi nodded, clapping her hands together. “Oh, I just remembered something. There’s a movie I’ve been wanting to see, but I haven’t found anyone to go with me. How about we go watch a movie now?”
Sun Yutan raised no objections, so Sun Nianxi eagerly opened the ticketing app, scrolling through, only to find that there were few showtimes available. The movie they wanted to see was almost at the end of its theatrical run, and the remaining showtimes either had inconvenient times or only a few seats left in undesirable locations.
“Then let’s watch it tomorrow,” Sun Yutan said.
“Sure. Let me buy the tickets now.” Sun Nianxi flipped through the options. “Let’s go to Haidu Cinema. The seats are wider there. But there are only two showtimes tomorrow, around 1 pm and 7 pm. Let’s go for the evening one, I have class in the afternoon.”
“Alright.”
The next day, around 4 pm, Sun Yutan received several voice messages from Sun Nianxi. She said her boyfriend suddenly came back and picked her up after class, and they were going out to eat.
“I’m sorry, darling,” Sun Nianxi apologized in a coquettish tone, “My big baby and I are going for some alone time! I can’t accompany you to the movie!” She sent over the QR code for the tickets.
Sun Yutan was both angry and amused. “Who said I’m going to accompany you?” she said, “You two go ahead and watch it.” Sun Nianxi giggled and said, “No, no, no. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Who wants to watch a movie? You can watch it for me.”
Sun Yutan was thinking of telling her to refund the ticket, but then she thought that she had nothing else to do. Might as well watch the movie and then go to the supermarket.
Near seven o’clock, she changed her clothes and went downstairs. The elevator door slowly opened and Chen Rui was standing outside.
He nodded at her and waited for her to come out before entering the elevator. Sun Yutan was struck with an idea and turned back to ask, “Chen Rui, do you want to watch a movie?”
Chen Rui pressed the button to close the door when she turned back, and was silent for a moment after hearing her invitation.
Sun Yutan quickly said, “It’s okay if it’s inconvenient, I just asked casually, no need to force yourself. I have an extra ticket and thought it would be a waste if nobody goes.”
“Wait for me,” Chen Rui said, “I’ll come down right away.”
The movie was a recent award-winning light comedy. The story revolved around two clueless and unhappy individuals, whose stark differences in personality provided endless fodder for witty banter and hilarious arguments. Sun Yutan had developed a habit of looking at her friends whenever she found something amusing, hoping to share a moment of understanding with them.
However, tonight she was sitting next to Chen Rui, who didn’t share this habit. Though he seemed relaxed with a slight smile on his lips, he was unaware of Sun Yutan’s gaze. Feeling a pang of awkwardness, she quickly turned away, her laughter fading into silence
As the story unfolded, the two main leads overcame various conflicts and obstacles, ultimately finding their way back to each other in a harmonious and beautiful reunion.
Their seats in the darkened theater were positioned in the very last row, with Sun Yutan sitting closest to the aisle and trailing behind Chen Rui. As they began their descent down the steps, the bright glow of an Easter egg suddenly illuminated the screen before them. Entranced by the vibrant colors and whimsical animation, Sun Yutan was completely unaware of the unforgiving emptiness that lay beneath her delicate foot. Without hesitation, Chen Rui sprang into action and expertly caught her with a swift movement of his hand, wrapping his strong arm around her slender waist.
“Be careful,” he cautioned in a low, hushed tone, his breath warm against her ear.
Sun Yutan felt a sudden warmth rise to her cheeks as she withdrew from his firm embrace, grateful that they still had some distance to walk before reaching the exit.
As they stepped out of the theater, the tantalizing aroma of freshly made ice cream wafted towards them from a quaint little shop next door. Sun Yutan’s eyes lit up at the thought of trying the homemade delights, and she turned towards Chen Rui to suggest they stop by. But before she could utter a word, his phone rang, and he excused himself to take the call.
By the time Chen Rui returned, Sun Yutan was already sitting inside the shop, scooping ice cream with a small spoon. He looked at her for a moment, then walked towards her as she looked up.
“Chen Rui, is everything okay? You can go if you need to,” Sun Yutan said, “I actually wanted to walk around by myself later anyway.”
Chen Rui sat down on the wooden chair across from her. There was only a small high-legged round table between them. For a few moments, neither of them spoke, the only sound in the air the gentle hum of the ice cream machines. Then, suddenly, Chen Rui leaned in, his eyes locking onto Sun Yutan’s. She felt her heart skip a beat, her mind racing as she wondered what was going through his mind. She couldn’t help but think of scenes from romantic dramas.
“What’s going on?” she asked calmly.
Chen Rui answered, “You lost one of your earrings.”
Sun Yutan immediately touched her ear, and sure enough, her right earlobe was empty. Annoyed with herself, she stood up, ready to search for it. But before she could move, Chen Rui’s hand shot out, palm open and displaying a pearl sleeping on a delicate silver chain.
“Ah, thank you very much.” Sun Yutan reached out to take it, but Chen Rui closed his palm and drew it back.
“?” Sun Yutan grabbed his wrist. “Chen Rui, you should return lost items to their owners.”
Chen Rui allowed her to hold onto his wrist. “I won’t return it.”
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